It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

We have been busy lately, with the usual things that keep us busy this time of year...plus some colds.

Avery had her first dance recital at the mall. I would put the video here, but Blogger is being stupid again and doesn't like it, for some reason. Sum up: Avery freaked out because of all the people and shut down, spent most of the performance at the side of the stage, crying with me, and I got her to go back out, but her teacher pretty much carried her around and then she finally danced the last 10 seconds, maybe. It was still really cute, though!

This girl got her hair cut. Before: 

 After:

For the first few days after her hair cut, she was constantly running her hands through her hair and commenting on how much she loved it.

We had Thanksgiving at my parents' house. My Grandpa John and Grandma Nancy made the trip up to see us, so it was fun to be with them, too.

Avery turned 3! I can't believe I have a three year old, but it's true. I do. We asked her what she'd like to eat for her birthday dinner and she said, "A cheeseburger." So, we headed to Red Robin.

The day after her birthday, we had a small birthday gathering with all her grandparents that were in attendance: Bompa, Gramma, Grammie, PawPaw, and Great-Grandpa John and Great-Grandma Nancy. She was in heaven all night, as all the attention was focused on her!

 She LOOOOOOOVES to open presents.

 Evelyn made sure some attention was focused on her.

Then, this week, I've been slowly getting Christmas decorations put up, Christmas cookies made, and lots of Christmas music listening done. Today, we had a great quiet family day at home. During Evelyn's almost 3 hour nap (I KNOW!!!), we decorated a gingerbread house with Avery. That was a huge hit!

It's only going to get busier these next few weeks! I'm trying to take the time to remember what we are really celebrating, and just enjoy my time with my sweet ones.

Great Grandma Peterson

**I originally wrote most of this just a few days after I got back from Grandma's funeral, but just now got a chance to finish it.

Last weekend, I stood and looked at her hands. Hands that would have been 97 years old on October 14. Hands that wore her wedding ring for almost 78 years. Hands that played outside when she was young in rural Minnesota. Hands that maybe patted her baby doll's back, while singing it to sleep. Hands that would hold her new husband's hands, as she pledged to spend their lives together "as long as we both shall live." Hands that would hold, care, clean, and comfort each of her nine children in the days to come. Hands that would serve her family continually, even after all nine children left their childhood home. Hands that made homemade bread, cookies, doughnuts, too many meals to count. Hands that hung countless dresses, overalls, diapers, and sheets on the line. Hands that she would fold in prayer, daily. She would pray for me and each one of my relatives, her descendants every day. She had servant's hands because she had a servant's heart. I stared at her hands as I stood there, admiring their beauty. It became apparent to me how important her hands were to her during her life. I realized the impact that those hands had on everyone who came in contact with my great grandma. I realized that I am here, largely because of her existence.

When I first heard that Grandma's health was starting to fail her, just around 3 weeks ago, I knew that I would be saying good-bye to her soon. Even though this made me sad for me, I felt happy for Grandma. It will be downright weird to go to the lake and not go visit Grandma. Up until I was around 20 years old, when I went to the lake, heading up to the farmhouse to say "hi" to Great Grandpa and Grandma was a daily occurrence. My cousins and I could pop our head into the sun room at any moment during the day and could reliably find at least great-grandpa sitting on his orange stool, most likely drinking a cup of coffee. If Grandma wasn't in the sun room, she was in the next room over, in the kitchen, fixing something to set out on the table for anyone to help themselves to, should they come to visit. I might have sat down on the bench to chat with Grandpa and Grandma for a few moments, telling them about school or violin or ballet. Then, I would listen to Grandpa's soft, gravelly voice, as he told me a snippet of a memory he had from his own childhood. On my way out of the sun room, I would undoubtedly grab a doughnut or kringla to nibble on while I played outside. Outside, I would find the pack of farm cats that stuck around for Grandma's table scraps and many mice they would find. Specifically, I loved the kittens. I had a button-down shirt with a chest pocket on each side that fit one kitten, inside each one, perfectly. I'm sure the kittens loved it.

When Grandpa died in February of 1998, I worried about Grandma. She was 82, and as far as I know, she was perfectly healthy. However, she was clearly heartbroken that the love of her life had left this life without her. I thought she might live a couple of more years, but would probably pass away, due to heartache. Even though Grandma lived another 14 years without her husband, I know it was hard for her. A couple of years after Grandpa died, Grandma went to live in a condo in town. All one level, less house to keep clean; practically, it was a much better living situation for her. However, it had to have been difficult for her to leave the farm house that she and her husband had built, as newlyweds in 1930. She birthed all 9 children in that house that they both built and loved. How weird to live someplace else!

When visiting Grandma in the condo became a reality for me, I remember hearing her say almost every time I visited her, "I'm ready to go to heaven."  It never seemed morbid to me. It was a genuine longing that I knew was aching her. Even though she began to experience some somewhat minor health ailments, her body kept fighting. After all, she always was a strong woman. I am always baffled at the idea of having nine children! I have two and most days, I feel overwhelmed! My great grandma is someone I will always admire.

My family has a Facebook group that has become very active since Grandma became weak. A bunch of us have taken comfort in sharing Grandma's recipes, memories, and just generally doing a better job of staying connected. While I was in Minnesota, we had a big brainstorm session of how we can all be a part of continuing the legacy of our family, specifically through the chapel that my great grandpa built on the hill that overlooks our family's old farmland and the lake. I am excited to see how that takes shape over the years.

I will miss my great grandparents very much, but I am so fortunate to be able to believe, without a doubt, that they are both in heaven, together. I am so blessed that both of my children were able to meet their great great grandma. I love that whenever Avery sees a picture of my great grandma, she knows who it is. I am blessed that even when I am in heartache, mourning the loss of a beautiful life, I still have my own grandparents, all living, all very active in my life. I can only praise God for that!

Summer Vacay Sum-up...

We just got home today after spending a week in Minnesota at my grandparents' house on the lake.  It is one of my favorite places to go and spend time.  I have so many memories made there.  I don't remember the lake not being a part of my life because it always has been!

I was actually conceived in the master bedroom of the original cabin.  Too much information?

My Grampy was born across the street from his lake home in the farm house that his parents established.  My grandpa was an unexpected surprise when he arrived after his twin brother, as my great-grandma didn't know she was pregnant with two babies!  He was born in 1936, and during one of the boat rides we went on this past week, I was thinking about how much family history comes from that land.  It is such a legacy and I am so proud to be a descendant of it!

In the 60's and 70's, my great-grandpa divided up his farmland that lined the lake shore into plots and gave nine of them to each of his nine children and put the rest up for sale to the public.  Many of the people who owned or own property on the lake now are good friends to the Peterson family.  It has become a place that is so special to so many other families, too!

So many things have changed over the years.  Grandpa had built a typical lake cabin on his lot in the 70's.  4 bedroom, 2 bath, open to the 2nd floor, where me and my cousins used to sleep in the upstairs hallway and peek down through the railing at our parents while they played cards and laughed until the late hours.  If the whole family was at the lake for the family reunion or the 4th of July, or some other long weekend, people would be sleeping anywhere they could fit.  The hallway, underneath the stairs, on the living room floor, couch, and even on the lounge chairs outside.  I'll never forget the feel of the orange shag carpet under my feet when I'd come running inside from swimming in the lake.

When I was still young, Grandpa built the "big house" next door to the cabin, which is a big, brick house without shag carpet, but with lots of new things that kept us entertained when we'd visit the lake.  A basement with a pool table and a hot tub, and eventually a Pac-Man machine would keep us busy for hours and out of our parents' hair.  My cousins and I still enjoyed sleeping 3 to a queen bed because what is more fun than staying up super late with your cousins, having pillow fights in the pitch dark?  I am the 3rd oldest cousin out of a total of 20 grandchildren and now, we're gradually marrying and having children and now there are 9 great-grandchildren already, with my bun in the oven on the way.  Currently, when we all get together, there would be 45 peeps.  I'm pretty sure that number is right. That's just from my grandparents, down.

I love coming from a large family.  There is always some sort of action happening, and there is usually some joking and laughter going on at all times.  With a large family, there are also a lot of opinions that are voiced and most of the time, no one asked for anyone's opinion, but everyone is eager to give it!  I don't love this part, but it's just the way it is.  It has taught me to keep my mouth shut, for the most part.  Sometimes, I can't take it anymore, and I have to join in, or I'll explode!  But really, for the most part, the large family experience is a positive one.

We didn't head to the lake last weekend, just to relax, although we did plenty of that!  We made the trip because my oldest cousin, Lissa, was getting married in the backyard with the lake as their backdrop.  When we were driving from the Twin Cities airport to the lake on Friday evening, we drove through one of the scariest rainstorms I've ever seen.  There were tornado warnings surrounding us, and the radio promised they'd be paving our path the whole two hour car trip.  We stopped in a suburb of the cities for dinner and to wait it out and we discussed how we were hoping the weather would shape up for Lissa's wedding the next day.

It did.  The storm the night before had knocked down the tent and forced deconstruction of all of my cousin's entourage of hard work on the flowers and decorations.  On Saturday morning, just mere hours before the wedding started, the backyard did not look ready.  I was busy inside the big house, tending to Avery and watching the hubbub of commotion, while looking out the windows to check the progress of set-up.  I have to say it was amazing what happened over the course of only a couple of hours!  The backyard went from showing no sign of a wedding happening that day to complete tables and chairs, tablecloths, centerpieces, flowers, and hanging picture frames from trees.

It was a beautiful wedding.  I mean gorgeous.  Like, the most beautiful wedding I've ever witnessed.  Honestly.  Hats off to my Aunt Kris (mother of the bride)!

This wedding meant a lot to me.  I grew up with Lissa.  So many of my childhood memories include her.  She was in my wedding and she helped pick out the bridesmaid dresses.  She made it difficult because everything she tries on looks amazing on her.  This wedding meant a lot to me, too, because I knew how much she was looking forward to it.  I knew how happy she would be on this day, and I was so excited to witness that! Love you, Lis!

When Eric and Lissa turned toward each other to say their vows, I could only see Eric's face and I had a plain view of him.  The look he had in his eyes, as he said the words intentionally made me sob.  I mean, sob like a baby!  I was glad I was wearing my sunglasses because it was kind of embarrassing.  He just seemed to be really thinking about each word he was saying and he wanted her to hear them.

I'm so glad we made the trip to the lake this summer.  It was a wonderful week, start to finish.  After the wedding, most of the family left, and it was just us and my Uncle Brett's family with Grampy and Gramma.  It was quiet and relaxing, and so perfect.  We went to visit my great-grandma Peterson twice, and Avery loved chasing around her cat, Pepper.  Yesterday, Avery and I went one last time and she gave her Great-great-grandma a kiss on the cheek.  It was something I hope I never forget, but I'm kicking myself because both visits, I forgot my camera.  Seriously, my pregnancy brain is reeking terrible regrets!

When we were on our way home from the airport today, I called my parents to tell them we were almost home and  my Dad said he had gotten a text from my grandpa that said Great-Grandma had a heart attack this morning.  She is home and alert, so it sounds like she is doing pretty well, considering, but it's just one of those things...I just saw her yesterday!  And I'm so glad that I did.

I hold my family in high priority, and this week has been a valuable reminder to continue to do so.  Thank you for listening to all 1,269 words of it.

Why I Do What I Do...

I have been doing some thinking lately.

Like, deep thinking.  I know.  Risky business.

But seriously, I have been thinking about why I do what I do.  I know to some people, I'm just a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM).  And I know to some people, that is seen as a luxury.  And I know that some people can get very jealous that I stay home with our child.

Something that I am learning in my adult life is that the way some people feel about me or perceive me is completely out of my control.  All I can do is be who I am.  Please allow me to explain.

The thing that got me thinking about all of this recently is the concept of making Avery's baby food.  I decided that anything made fresh is definitely more healthy for you.  That's why most nights, I make dinner for Stephen and I.  While it'd be more convenient to throw a frozen pizza in the oven or crack open a jar of spaghetti sauce, I just rarely do.  We rarely order food in, and we go out to eat maybe once a week.  I'm not a health freak, but we try to lead a reasonably healthy lifestyle.

I want the same for our children.  It is more convenient to open jars of baby food for every feeding.  And I'm not going to say that Avery will never experience a jar of baby food because it is more convenient, it just might happen when I'm in a pinch.  However, it will not be a daily occurrence for her.  This is a choice we have made.

Not only is the homemade food better for her, it is incredibly cheaper.  We have bought all of her organic veggies at Costco -- huge bags (5-10 lbs.) that are about $5-7.00 a bag.  And I have 6 gallon size ziploc bags in our deep freeze, packed full of ice cube vegetables.  I figure it's more than enough to last until Avery is eating finger foods.  And I've only made 3 veggies and 2 fruits! Plus, we still have half of the bags of veggies left for Stephen and I to eat.  I noticed at Target that the organic baby food is over a dollar a 4 ounce jar.  The same stuff is about 68 cents a jar at Costco.  I am guessing that 4 of the 1 ounce cubes I made cost about 12 cents to make, if that.

So, it's healthier, and it's cheaper.  'Nuff said.

Anyway, analyzing why we've decided to go the homemade food route has made me think about my job as a SAHM, too.  Why am I doing this?

Well, I'll be honest.  I've always wanted to be a SAHM.  When I went into teaching, a big reason why I decided to was because it tends to be a little more manageable when you have kids...similar hours, vacations, etc.  However, I had no idea who I would be marrying and if it would be possible for me to be a SAHM.

When Stephen and I went through our pre-marital counseling (this was so incredibly important to us), how we would raise our children was a topic that we discussed.  Stephen and I both grew up in homes where our moms stayed home, for the most part.  It's what we know and what we liked.  We decided that I would most likely stay home with our kids, but that we'd re-evaluate when the time came.  It was nice to have the peace of mind that we were on the same page with such a big issue.

When we found out I was pregnant when we were still living in the big K, everything seemed to fall into place, leading to me staying home when the baby came.

This had nothing to do with finances.  It would be so much easier, financially, if I was working right now.  We are making so many sacrifices in our life right now because we are on such a strict budget.  There is coupon-clipping, shopping the weekly ads, meal planning, not shopping for pleasure, and constantly asking ourselves, "Do we really need that?" 

This has been harder for me, I think, than it is for Stephen.  He is simple and easy.  I have to discreetly throw away anything that belongs to him because he'll wear t-shirts, boxers, and socks way past what I would consider acceptable condition.  The guy still has all of his fraternity t-shirts and wears them frequently around the house.  They are threadbare and holey, but he says they serve their purpose.  Ha!  I love him so much.

When we came back to the US last summer, the job market was (and is) just horrible, especially for Stephen's line of work.  So, we decided to take a risk and start our own business.  It is financially risky for us, since we'll be living off our savings until we start to make money, but he is doing what he has always wanted to do.  And he's happy.  That is worth so much more than a semi-dependable salary from an employer.

We also knew that because we were starting this business, and I wasn't working a paid job, we would do our part of being responsible with our finances, but also we were going to rely on God to provide for all of our needs.

And boy, has He.  We have been under budget every month for the last nine months.

I'm not going to lie.  It kinda sucks.  Watching every penny that we spend and not getting to buy that cute outfit for Avery that she doesn't really need is hard work!  Being a SAHM is not a luxury.  It is a choice.  It takes a lot of self-control and perseverance.  I'll tell you what my motivation is.

This face:

Whether it's me staying home, or if it turned out that it made sense for Stephen to take care of her and me to work, we've made our choice.  We want to be the ones that watch all of her firsts.  We want to teach her our family values and beliefs.  We want to watch her grow and change every day.

This is the path we have chosen.

That's the beauty of all of this.  We all have choices to make when we become parents.  Where do we live, who do we spend our time with, what do we do for fun, who takes care of the child?  Just because we have made the choices that we have doesn't mean that everyone else needs to make the same choices.  Every family needs to make the choices that work and make the most sense for them.  Every family is different, so different choices will be made.

This is what works for us.

I'm more tired than I ever was teaching, and I don't get a paycheck, but it's sooooo worth it!

I hope I haven't stepped on anyone's toes with this.  The intent of course, is not to offend.  Like I said, we all make the choices that are right for us.  :)  It's actually only meant to encourage you to think about the choices you've made for your life.  Are they right for you?

Weekend with Erik & Julie...

We learned a few months ago that Erik and Julie would be coming to town.  Julie's mom was coming for a conference and they wanted to come and show her around Colorado a bit.

The weekend quickly filled up with lots of activities and fun things to do!

We got back from Florida on Wednesday evening and Erik and Julie arrived on Thursday night, but Avery was already in bed.

Remember the last time Avery saw Uncle Erik and Aunt Julie?

  Two people have changed a lot since this picture: Avery and Aunt Julie!  Aunt Julie is 30 weeks pregnant with Cousin Peter.  So, the next time we see Erik and Julie, we will also see a little baby.  Yeah!

I know we talked about not posting these pictures, since they were taken pre-shower or makeup, but they are too cute!

Here is a really cute video of Avery and Julie.  Julie was looking at a Crate and Barrel catalogue while Avery laid on her lap and Avery was squealing and laughing at the pages in the magazine.  So, I quickly grabbed the camera.


Crate & Barrel Shopping from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.

Stephen's Aunt Cinda and Uncle Randy also came into town for the baby shower my mother-in-law and I put together for Julie.

They were a big hit!

See, Great-Aunt Cinda?  I have hands!

All smiles!

Avery liked Uncle Randy's goatee!

With Grammy

I was in charge of decorations, so I made these pom-poms in Peter's nursery colors...

And I made this banner...

And Aunt Cinda arranged the flowers...

Paula was in charge of the food.  Cute cake, huh?

Julie by the spread.

Paula, Julie, Me

Paula, Julie, Delores (Julie's mom)

Cute preggo Julie, in her new skirt and ensemble

Opening gifts

We had a lot of fun this past weekend!  We are sad that it will be so long until we see Erik and Julie again and meet Peter, but we can't wait!

Pure Florida Fun...

Avery, of course, learned some new tricks while we were down in Florida:
- found her thumb, on a consistent basis
- rolling from back to front, consistently
- recognizes the camera when it comes out and is quite the ham!  She squeals and laughs and grins when she sees it.

Playing in my cute little romper from Rick & Colleen

Avery & Gramma

Cheeeeeeeese!

Great Aunt Kris got me a new hat!

Avery & Great Aunt Kris

Relaxing on the boat with Dad

Grandpa Dallen

Bompa & Gramma

Avery & Daddy (again, with the camera-love)

Relaxing in the chair after swimming

So cute.

All ready for fun in the sun!

Quite entertained...

Grampy & Avery, driving the boat

Vacation is exhausting!

Monet, Grampy and Gramma's dog loves the boat.

Loving on her Sophie

3 dolphins in the bay

The dolphins right next to the boat!